Thursday, October 27, 2016

WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?

Here
are book reviews on two excellent books about HEAVEN. With all that’s going on
in the world it will help us to learn about heaven and keep our eyes on God and
our future with Him.

Heaven

By Randy Alcorn

This
is an amazing book. Randy Alcorn gives detailed and convincing explanations of
what Scripture says about life after death. He briefly describes the
intermediate Heaven but spends most of the book describing the New Heaven and
the New Earth.

I
read this book about ten years ago and studied it with a Sunday school class.
At that point I couldn’t believe what he says. Now I’m convinced!

I
had pictured Heaven as a place where our spirits floated around on clouds and
we sang praises to God. We were in His holy presence and it was wonderful with
no more tears or sorrow. This last sentence is true but the floating around
part is not according to Alcorn.

He
maintains that Scripture promises a New Heaven and a New Earth and they will be
like our physical earth and our universe. Our earth is physical and humans are
physical creatures with physical bodies. The New Earth will be a physical one
and will be united with the New Heaven, a new universe of stars and planets.
Jesus will occupy the New Earth and we will help him rule it as he originally
planned for Adam and Eve to rule our current earth.

Throughout
the book Alcorn gives compelling Scripture references to prove the kind of New
Earth we will live in. Through more than four hundred pages and forty-six
chapters he meticulously describes what life on the New Earth will be like. He
cites many other experts on this subject quoting from C. S. Lewis, Joni
Eareckson Tada, Helen Keller and John Wesley and more. For example, R. A. Torry
says “We will not be disembodied spirits in the world to come, but redeemed
spirits, in redeemed bodies, in a redeemed universe.” Pg110 We will keep
our unique identities and will recognize friends and family members we have
known. And Alcorn says there will be animals in heaven, maybe even your lost
pets!

Toward
the end of the book Alcorn writes: “Every person reading this book is dying.
Perhaps you have reason to believe death will come very soon. You may be
troubled, feeling uncertain or unready to leave. Make sure of your relationship
with Jesus Christ. Be certain that you trust him alone to save you – not anyone
or anything else, and certainly not any good works you’ve done. And then allow
yourself to get excited about what’s on the other side of death’s door.” Pg 446 This book is worth reading and rereading!

Heaven: Your Real Home

By Joni Eareckson Tada

This
is a beautiful, thoughtful, well written, and well researched book about Heaven
as described in Scriptures. Joni Eareckson Tada, is a remarkable
person. She is a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, has written a number of
excellent books, is a national speaker, and has a ministry to disabled
individuals. She pictures heaven in vivid, insightful and glorious images.

The
book is divided into three parts.

1.
What Will Heaven by Like?

2.
Will Heaven be Home?

3.
The Journey Home.

Throughout
the book Joni gives illustrations from her own experiences and from the
experiences of others, especially those with major handicaps. Chapter 5 Why
Don’t We Fit on Earth? resonates with my own experiences. Our culture’s
materialism, tasteless entertainment and
corrupt morality cause me to feel this world is not my home. Joni writes “I’m a
little like a refugee who is longing for a better country called heaven.” Pg. 98

Throughout
the book Joni gives inspiring and thoughtful insights. For example “We are not
only to “set our hearts on things above where Christ is seated, but set our
minds on things above as well. That’s hard.” Pg. 127 She explains in detail why that’s hard and promises we will have “the
mind of Christ when we lay hold of Him and His ideas.” Pg.129 No book review can do justice to this book!

This
is not an easy read. It must be read slowly and thoughtfully. It will challenge
many Christians, especially Chapter 9 Getting Ready for Heaven and the
scriptures about suffering. This book can be very helpful to anyone who is
severely handicapped or who takes care of a handicapped person and wants to
understand God’s perfect plan for their life. It will give all readers a glorious
view of our future home and help us focus on HIm!

“Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God;
trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I
would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go
and prepare a place for you I will come back and take you to be with me that
you also may be where I am.” John
14:1-3

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I’m a Christian, wife of a sweet husband, mother of three amazing adult children, grandmother of two fantastic grandchildren. I enjoyed a 30+ year career in clinical social work/marriage counseling, was local coordinator of The Third Option group for couples (1996-2007), author of weekly Family Counselor advice column (1980-2003), author of Love Advice: Practical Ideas for A Happy Marriage and Changing Churches: A View From the Pew. I love to read and I love word games. Most of all I love Jesus and His Church.